U.S. patent number 4,810,558 [Application Number 07/171,044] was granted by the patent office on 1989-03-07 for three dimensional patterning process.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Milliken Research Corporation. Invention is credited to Mark A. Hornung, Charles E. Warner.
United States Patent |
4,810,558 |
Hornung , et al. |
March 7, 1989 |
Three dimensional patterning process
Abstract
A process to provide a patterned, laminated fabric in which an
inner foam layer is embossed to hold the pattern in the outer
decorative layer in position. The process continuously cold
embosses the flame laminated fabric to allow continuous formation
of the subject fabric at an acceptable rate of speed.
Inventors: |
Hornung; Mark A. (Inman,
SC), Warner; Charles E. (Spartanburg, SC) |
Assignee: |
Milliken Research Corporation
(Spartanburg, SC)
|
Family
ID: |
22622259 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/171,044 |
Filed: |
March 21, 1988 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/159; 156/219;
156/220; 428/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C
44/5636 (20130101); B32B 5/22 (20130101); B32B
38/06 (20130101); B32B 5/245 (20130101); B29C
59/046 (20130101); B32B 2266/0278 (20130101); B29L
2031/3005 (20130101); B29L 2031/58 (20130101); B32B
2305/022 (20130101); B32B 2305/18 (20130101); Y10T
428/24512 (20150115); Y10T 156/1039 (20150115); Y10T
156/1041 (20150115); Y10T 428/24504 (20150115); B32B
2607/02 (20130101); B32B 2262/0276 (20130101); B32B
2305/188 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B29C
44/56 (20060101); B29C 44/34 (20060101); B29C
59/04 (20060101); B32B 38/04 (20060101); B32B
5/22 (20060101); B32B 003/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;156/219,220
;428/158,159,160,246 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Van Balen; William J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marden; Earle R. Petry; H.
William
Claims
We claim:
1. A continuous process for making a patterned composite fabric
from a laminated fabric having a scrim fabric on one side and a
decorative fabric on the other side thereof separated therefrom by
a layer of flexible foam material comprising the steps of :
continuously supplying the laminated fabric into a heated oven to
tackify the flexible foam material, continuously passing the
laminated fabric between the nip of a cooled pattern roll and a
back-up roll to simultaneously depress the decorative fabric into
and emboss the flexible foam material and cool the laminate to
provide a permanent pattern in the surface of the decorative fabric
and continuously taking up the patterned fabric.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the backup roll is cooled.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein the temperature of the cooled
rolls is maintained in the range of 68.degree.-70.degree. F.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said laminated fabric is directed
upward as it exits from the nip of the cooled pattern roll and the
back-up roll to cause the fabric to wrap partially around the
cooled pattern roll to provide a longer period of cooling to the
patterned fabric.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the heated oven supplies dry
heated air into contact with the laminated fabric.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein the heated oven ismaintained at a
temperature in the range of 340.degree.-360.degree. F.
7. The process of claim 6 wherein the cooled pattern roll is
maintained at a temperature in the range of 68.degree.-70.degree.
F.
8. The process of claim 4 wherein the cooled pattern roll is
maintained at a temperature in the range of 68.degree.-70.degree.
F.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein the backup roll is cooled.
10. The process of claim 9 wherein the temperature of the cooled
backup roll is maintained in the range of 68.degree.-70.degree.
F.
11. A patterned, laminated fabric for use as a wall panel fabric
comprising: a scrim fabric, a flexible foam material laminated on
one side to said scrim fabric and a decorative fabric laminated to
the other side of the flexible foam material, said decorative
fabric and said flexible foam material having identical patterns
formed in the surface thereof.
12. The fabric of claim 11 wherein said scrim fabric and said
decorative fabric are woven.
13. The fabric of claim 12 wherein said scrim fabric and said
decorative fabrics are composed of substantially all polyester
yarn.
14. The fabric of claim 11 wherein said flexible foam material is
urethane.
15. The fabric of claim 14 wherein said urethane is a
polyurethane.
16. The fabric of claim 15 wherein said scrim fabric and said
decorative fabric are woven.
Description
This invention relates generally to process to continuously emboss
a laminated fabric to produce a patterned fabric which can be
employed to upholster furniture, cover wall panels, etc.
An object of the invention is to continuously cold emboss a running
web of laminated fabric without intermittent operation of the
process.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clearly
apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention
with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the new and improved
embossing process;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the laminated fabric to be
embossed, and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fabric after being
embossed.
In the preferred form of the invention the embossed fabric 12
produced is to be used to cover wall panels but obviously such use
is only preferred and other uses can be made of the fabric. The
starting fabric 10, as well as the embossed, patterned fabric 12,
is a flame laminated composite of a woven polyester scrim fabric
14, a flexible polyurethane foam 16 and a woven, decorative
polyester fabric 18.
The support or semi-rigid scrim fabric 14 is a light weight fabric
of about 1.5 oz./sq.yd. of open construction with 25 warp ends/inch
and 14 fill ends/inch woven in a 66 inch width. The foam fabric 16
is a commercially available foam type FT1730 made by Reeves
Brothers and is approximately 68 inches wide with a density of 1.7
lb./cu.ft. and a thickness of 3/16th of an inch. The face or
decorative fabric is a 66 inch wide woven fabric having a weight of
5.6 oz./sq.yd. woven with 94 warp ends/inch and 65 picks or fill
ends/inch.
Looking now to FIG. 1 the embossing process will be explained. The
fabric 10 to be embossed is supplied continuously from the supply
roll 20 to the heating oven 22 through the conventional accumulator
section 24 onto the endless conveyor 26 with the decorative fabric
18 facing upward by the rolls 28, 30 and 32. Preferably, the
heating oven 22 is heated by hot dry air to a temperature in the
range of 340.degree.-360.degree. F. to cause the surfaces of the
foam layer 16 to become tacky. The hot composite fabric 10 is then
passed between the nip of cooled smooth backup roll 34 and a cold
engraved roll 36, both maintained at a temperature between
68.degree.-70.degree. F., to be compressed and cooled therebetween
at a pressure of about 85-200 lbs. per linear inch to compress
portions of the tacky polyurethane foam and the decorative fabric
18 laminated thereto to form a pattern on the face of the fabric 12
as shown in FIG. 3 and to cool the foam material below the
tackifying temperature.
From the rolls 34, 36 the fabric 12 passes over the roll 38 and is
guided therefrom under the inspection platform 40 by the rolls 41
and 42. From the roll 42, the fabric 12 is guided onto the center
drive take-up roll 44, by a series of rolls 46, 48, 50 and 51. It
should be noted that the roll 38 is mounted above the engraved roll
36 to provide more wrap-around of the engraved roll 36 than if it
came straight out of the nip to provide additional cooling of the
embossed fabric since the engraved roll is maintained at
temperature of about 68.degree.-70.degree. F. This additional wrap
with increased cooling capacity allows the speed of the continuous
embossing process to be increased.
It can thereby be seen that an embossed patterned laminate fabric
is continuously provided by embossing the softened inner layer of
polyurethane foam, which holds the outer decorative fabric into
patterned position since the outer decorative layer is laminated to
the foam layer and deformed as the urethane layer is being
embossed.
Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described, it is contemplated that changes may be made without
departing from the scope or spirit of the invention and it is
desired that the invention be limited only by the scope of the
claims.
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